Henri Rousseau | French painter | Britannica.com Henri Rousseau J.-A.-D. Ingres Henri Rousseau, byname le Douanier (French: “the Customs Officer”) (born May 21, 1844, Laval , France —died Sept. 2, 1910, Paris ), French painter who is considered the archetype of the modern naive artist . He is known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures. After exhibiting with the Fauves in 1905, he gained the admiration of avant-garde artists. Myself: Portrait-Landscape, oil on canvas by Henri Rousseau, 1890; in … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Early life Rousseau, the son of a tinsmith, came from a modest background. He was a mediocre student, and he left the secondary school in Laval without having completed his studies. He soon entered military service, in which he remained for four years.

During his term of service he met soldiers who had survived the French expedition to Mexico (1862–65) in support of Emperor Maximilian , and he listened with fascination to their recollections. Their descriptions of the subtropical country were doubtless the first inspiration for the exotic landscapes that later became one of his major themes. The vividness of Rousseau’s portrayals of jungle scenes led to the popular conception , which Rousseau never refuted, that he traveled to Mexico. In fact, he never left France. Civil service career and early paintings Released from military service upon the death of his father (to support his widowed mother), Rousseau settled in 1868 in Paris. The following year he married Clémence Boitard, the daughter of a cabinetmaker. In Paris he began a career as a petty official, eventually (in 1871) becoming a tax collector in the Paris toll office; from this post came the name by which he was well known in later years, le Douanier (“the Customs Officer”), in spite of the fact that the toll office had no real customs functions. Working as a bureaucrat and busy with family affairs, he still somehow found time to draw and paint.

Although no works remain as evidence, he had probably drawn and painted since childhood, and his stated ambition was to be a painter in the style of the academicians of his day. In 1884 he obtained permission to copy paintings at the Louvre. In 1886 he exhibited some of his first paintings, not at the official Salon , which would never have admitted a painter of such naiveté, but at the Salon des Indépendants ; this annual exhibition was established by young painters to allow themselves and others a chance to exhibit free from the narrow official Salon requirements of style and subject matter. Britannica Stories EU Considers Rules For Robots The picture with which Rousseau made his debut at the Salon des Indépendants, Carnival Evening (1886), was a masterpiece of its kind and an impressive beginning for the artist. The approach to representation that he employed in this work is typical of “naive art.” Everything is literally and deliberately drawn—every branch of the trees is traced, the clouds have a curious solidity, and greater attention is paid to the details of costume than to the figures themselves.

The design of Rousseau’s painting , however, is effectively poetic, and he achieved a striking quality of atmosphere and mood through his accurate and sensitive observation of the colours of the evening. In spite of this auspicious beginning, Rousseau’s work still went largely unnoticed, except for the consistent ridicule of the critics, for the next seven years. During this period he exhibited some 20 paintings at the Salon des Indépendants, but he remained essentially an amateur, dividing his time among painting, work at the toll house, and family life. His wife, who had been ill for some time, died in 1888, and within several years he lost all of his family except for a daughter, whom he sent to live with relatives. Art & Architecture: Fact or Fiction? This period of personal hardship was also a period of increased artistic activity for Rousseau. An important event in his life at this time was the Universal Exposition held in Paris in 1889; it is probable that the reconstructions of Senegalese, Tonkinese, and Tahitian landscapes at the exposition provided further inspiration for the exoticism of his later paintings.

Rousseau’s enthusiasm for the fair was so great that he wrote a vaudeville play entitled A Visit to the Exposition of 1889, which he did not succeed in having produced. In this play, as in other theatrical works he wrote, his naiveté revealed itself even more than in the technical aspects of his painting. Also revealed, however, was his intense desire to express himself artistically; he even attempted to compose music. Still, his only great gift was for painting. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The most important work of this period in Rousseau’s career is his self-portrait, Myself: Portrait-Landscape (1890). Standing in the foreground, palette in hand, Rousseau is surrounded by the Parisian landscape, which is painted with great accuracy. This was obviously intended as a “portrait of the artist” in the academic tradition; the seriousness of purpose is impressive in spite of the naiveté of execution. Later paintings and recognition In 1893 Rousseau retired from the toll house to devote himself entirely to painting.

Soon afterward he met Alfred Jarry , a brilliant young writer, also from Laval, whose nonconformity shocked his contemporaries. Jarry was struck by Rousseau’s unusual work and introduced the self-taught artist to the circle of intellectuals associated with the avant-garde review Le Mercure de France . It was this review that first published an article praising Rousseau. The article was written in connection with his painting The War (1894), exhibited at the 1894 Salon des Indépendants, which demonstrated a striking use of allegory , convincing some viewers that Rousseau was much more than a minor landscapist. This work marked the beginning of the recognition of Rousseau as a serious painter. The Luxembourg Gardens. Monument to Chopin, oil on canvas by Henri … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages His most important painting of this period was The Sleeping Gypsy (1897), in which he portrayed a woman asleep in a moonlit desert with a huge lion standing over her, seemingly transfixed. The landscape is completely bare except for the woman’s jug and mandolin.

In this painting, Rousseau’s technique was exceedingly primitive; the woman lies stiffly on the ground, still clutching her walking staff, and her smiling face is childishly rendered. The stripes of her dress and the hairs of the lion’s mane are individually traced in a naive but decorative, almost abstract manner. The painting, however, is wonderfully expressive. The woman’s smile, the lion’s staring eye, the bare, unearthly landscape, and the whimsical twist at the end of the lion’s tail unite opposing feelings of peace and danger, and of solemn mystery and whimsy, into a powerful expression of magical enchantment. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest When he exhibited this painting, Rousseau wrote to the mayor of his native Laval, asking him to purchase it because it was intended to be a tribute to that town. The mayor, however, was merely amused at the idea. As this anecdote reveals, by this time Rousseau had enormous confidence in his own work and considered himself to be a great painter. Not only was he unaware of his lack of conventional technical skill, but he believed that his work resembled that of the academic painters.

He still dreamed of official glory, but his painting was appreciated only by young avant-garde painters such as Robert Delaunay , Pablo Picasso, and their common defender, the poet Guillaume Apollinaire , who also became Rousseau’s principal supporter. In 1905 Rousseau was invited to the Salon d’Automne (a semiofficial exhibition created after a schism among the academicians), where his painting The Hungry Lion (1905) was hung in the same room as the works of the group of avant-garde painters known as the Fauves (“Wild Beasts”)—Henri Matisse, André Derain , and Maurice de Vlaminck . At last the critics began to speak of Rousseau in a positive light. Ambroise Vollard , the most important dealer in modern paintings in Paris, bought pictures from him. The Snake-Charmer, oil painting by Henri Rousseau, 1907; in the … Erich Lessing/Art Resource, New York Rousseau lived in a humble quarter of Paris, where he gave painting lessons in his home.

(His second wife, whom he had married in 1899, died in 1903.) Among avant-garde artists and intellectuals he became a popular figure. In 1908 Picasso organized in his studio a banquet in Rousseau’s honour, to which the most sophisticated artists and critics of his day were invited. View of the Fortifications to the Left of the Gate of Vanves, oil on … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages During his last years Rousseau painted chiefly exotic landscapes, of which The Hungry Lion was the first major example. The paintings are characterized by a profusion of exotic plant growth painted with great attention to detail. The many different leaf forms that Rousseau depicted were probably based on plants that he studied at the botanical garden in Paris. He rendered each leaf separately yet with an eye toward overall design; each branch of leaves constitutes an almost abstract pattern. In the midst of this vegetal density, colourful birds flit about and mysterious animals stare out at the viewer. There is usually some dramatic incident taking place in the centre, such as a lion attacking its prey, which is in keeping with Rousseau’s continued predilection toward the grandiose, historical, dramatic narratives of traditional academic painting.

In a Tropical Forest. Struggle Between Tiger and Bull, oil on canvas … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Lady Flora Hastings Shortly before his death, Rousseau painted the most ambitious of these jungle paintings, The Dream (1910; also called Yadivigha’s Dream), which was also one of his greatest works. In this impressive fantasy, an enchanting nude rests on a red plush Victorian sofa in the middle of a dense jungle. Huge flowers wave about her head, two lions and an elephant peer out of the undergrowth, and a musician plays a flute behind her. Rousseau’s explanation of this scene is that the woman, having fallen asleep on the sofa, dreams that she is transported to this improbable region. This painting, which exhibits all of Rousseau’s descriptive and expressive skill, is a supreme revelation of his powerful and uncommon imagination. The Dream, oil on canvas by Henri Rousseau, 1910; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York … Photograph by Trish Mayo. Museum of Modern Art, New York City, gift of Nelson A.

Rockefeller Assessment Rousseau’s reputation increased after his death; he was honoured with a retrospective exhibition at the Salon des Indépendants in 1911. In 1912 the painter Wassily Kandinsky wrote admiringly about Rousseau in his Expressionist review Der Blue Reiter . In addition to inspiring an interest in naive art in the 20th century, he is also thought to have influenced the dreamscapes of Surrealist artists such as Paul Delvaux and Max Ernst . 1000+ images about henri rousseau on Pinterest | Henri rousseau, A tiger and Jungles one of my favorite paintings of all time, Henri Rousseau (1908) (Hilarious!) See More THE NAÏVE STYLE OF HENRI ROUSSEAU – FRENCH POST-IMPRESSIONIST Write for US THE NAÏVE STYLE OF HENRI ROUSSEAU – FRENCH POST-IMPRESSIONIST French Post-Impressionist painter Henri Julien Félix Rousseau paints in the primitive or Naïve style . He was very well-known for his many paintings depicting jungle scenes that have inspired musicians, painters and writers. He was not a painter all his life.

He worked as a toll collector thus was given the nickname, Le Douanier. Although he received ridicule for most of this life, he was later acknowledged as a self-taught genius. His works, which had been labeled to be of high artistic quality , were sought after. Rousseau was not born into a privileged family. His father’s main source of income was plumbing and he had to join his father at work when he was a young boy. He studied at Laval High School as a day student but was forced to become a boarder when their house was seized due to the debts his father incurred. Although he did not do well in some of his high school subjects, his music and drawings won him many prizes. He later worked for a lawyer and studied law before serving the army for four years. Upon his father’s death, he relocated to Paris and took a government job to support his widowed mother. He was appointed as a customs tax collector in 1871. It was only when he reached his early 40s that he started to paint seriously. He retired from his job when he was 49 years old and painted full time.

Rousseau’s Works While he admitted that he received some sort of training from established Academic painters, Jean-Léon Gérôme and Félix Auguste Clément, he also claimed that his art teacher was nature. He was basically self-taught and his painting style is called primitive or naïve. He became more known for his paintings that depicted jungle scenes. He had never been to a jungle and he never left France and drew inspiration from Parisian botanical gardens, preserved wild animals and illustrated books. Likewise, he remembered the stories of army buddies about their experiences in a subtropical country when they were sent to Mexico. He frequently visited the Jardin des Plantes, describing his experiences in the botanical garden as entering into a dream when he saw the strange plants from countries he called exotic. Together with his exotic jungle scenes, Rousseau also painted topographical images of Paris and the suburbs. He even claimed the he invented a nouveau genre of portrait landscape by painting his favorite view of the city and then adding people in the background. Criticism The painting above, called the “Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)” that Rousseau painted in 1891 was the first of many jungle-themed paintings that made him well known.

Critics were quick to find fault with his style, which was flat and seemingly childish in approach. The paintings looked extremely innocent. Still, many viewed his paintings like the work of a child but with a great degree of sophistication in the particular technique that he favored. Recognition Although not prominently displayed, he was able to regularly exhibit in the Salon des Indépendants starting from 1886. But it was through his 1891 painting entitled Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) that he gained his initial serious review. It came from Félix Vallotton, a young artist who said that this particular work was painting’s alpha and omega. He continued to paint for the rest of his life in his studio in Montparnasse. One other famous painting that he did from his new studio was La Bohémienne endormie or The Sleeping Gypsy (1887). He went back to painting his jungle scenes in 1905 when he created “The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope.” Again it was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants together with the works of younger artists including Henri Matisse.

The painting entitled “The Snake Charmer” was commissioned by Comtesse Berhte de Delaunay, the mother of artist Robert Delaunay. Last Painting Just before he died, Rousseau exhibited what will be his last painting entitled “The Dream.” It too, was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants. “The Dream” now hangs at the MoMA. Rousseau died on September 2, 1910. Seven friends of his stood at his gravesite: sculptor Brâncuși; Guillaume Apollinaire (who wrote the epitaph), Armand Queval, his landlord; artist couple Sonia Terk and Robert Delaunay, and painters Manuel Ortiz de Zárate and Paul Signac. Rousseau’s Legacy Henri Rousseau may not have an extensive collection of paintings but he had extensive influence on artists that came after him, such as Beckmann, Léger, Jean Hugo, Picasso and several Surrealist painters . The jungle vegetation in the animated film, Kirikou and the Sorceress, created by Michel Ocelot in 1998, was partially inspired by Rousseau’s works. He also influenced the poetry of Wallace Stevens and Sylvia Plath.

Two of Ms. Plath’s poems were based on Rousseau’s paintings: Yadwigha, on a Red Couch, Among Lilies (1958) was inspired by “The Dream” while the poem entitled Snakecharmer (1957) was based on Rousseau’s “The Snake Charmer.” The animated film, “Madagascar” drew inspiration from one of the artist’s works. Likewise, one of this works was the inspiration for the song, “The Jungle Line” by Joni Mitchell. Photo Attribution: Featured and 1st image by Henri Rousseau [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 2nd image by Henri Rousseau [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Share This Aug 20 Henri Rousseau | Article about Henri Rousseau by The Free Dictionary Henri Rousseau | Article about Henri Rousseau by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Rousseau, Henri (äNrē` ro͞osō`), 1844–1910, French primitive painter, b. Laval. He was entirely self-taught, and his work remained consistently naive and imaginative.

Rousseau was called Le Douanier [the customs officer] because he held a minor post in the Paris customs service for more than 20 years before he retired to paint (1893). Although he claimed to have lived in Mexico in his youth, he later admitted that the claim was false. The only tropical vegetation Rousseau ever saw was in Parisian greenhouses, and his remarkable landscapes had no counterpart in nature. His painted jungles are an organized profusion of carefully defined yet fantastic plants, half-concealing various wild animals with startlingly staring eyes. These scenes are rendered in a vivid, almost hypnotic folk style. The finest ones include The Snake Charmer (1907; Louvre) and The Dream (1910; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City). With the same approach Rousseau employed in painting the familiar (e.g., Village Street Scene, 1909; Philadelphia Mus. of Art), he painted the haunting and dreamlike Sleeping Gypsy (1897; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City). His fantastic Gypsy sleeps in a nighttime desert, closely observed by a lion—the entire absurdity rendered in a compelling, straightforward manner.

The painting thus combines the unique elements of Rousseau's art to their most startling effect. Rousseau exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants from 1886, but did not become well known until the early years of the 20th cent. when he was "taken up" by Picasso Picasso, Pablo (Pablo Ruiz y Picasso) , 1881–1973, Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and ceramist, who worked in France. He is generally considered in his technical virtuosity, enormous versatility, and incredible originality and prolificity to have been the ..... Click the link for more information. , Apollinaire Apollinaire, Guillaume , 1880–1918, French poet. He was christened Wilhelm Apollinaris de Kostrowitzky. Apollinaire was a leader in the restless period of technical innovation and experimentation in the arts during the early 20th cent. ..... Click the link for more information. , and other members of the Parisian avant garde. Bibliography See R. Shattuck, The Banquet Years (1958, repr.

1968); studies by D. Vallier (1964), D. C. Rich (1946, repr. 1970), G. Adriani (2001), and F. Morris, C. Green, and N. Ireson, ed. (2006). Henri Rousseau Paintings, Prints & Artwork | RousseauPaintings.org Henri Rousseau Paintings Buy Now from Art.com Rousseau was an original French painter, whose style sparked controversy in the 19th century Henri Rousseau was an imaginative and highly original French artist who created a reputation which remains very strong even today. His life was spent predominantly with in the 19th century and his best work came towards the end of that period, which also included several other crucial painters who are still internationally acclaimed today. This website covers the full life and career of Henri Rousseau and lists all of his most famous paintings. You can also find Rousseau paintings here. Henri Rousseau's paintings featured a very characteristic style that has been loosely classified with in the art movements of Post-Impressionism, Naive art and Primitivism.

Academically, his approach was treated with distain by many at the time of his career, but fans with in the mainstream art world have found great charm with in his paintings that has helped him to become a highly appreciated painter. The best known works by Henri Rousseau included titles such as The Sleeping Gypsy, The Merry Jesters, The Snake Charmer and The Dream although the fuller list from his career is far longer and included further down the page. A selection of his best paintings such as those mentioned here are included as images throughout this website, and accompanied by links from which you can buy your own Rousseau reproductions as framed or unframed giclee art prints, posters or stretched canvases. Henri Rousseau featured a style within his work that whilst very original, and almost cartoon-like, bears some resemblance to certain artists who are known to have inspired him and served as study topics for a young Henri as he saught new influences at the start of his career. Amongst the artists believed to have been of interest to Rousseau were Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann and Jean Hugo who were also based in contemporary periods.

Buy Now from Art.com Snake Charmer Rousseau was determined to not let his art become too reliant on what had gone before and his individualistic approach was very important to him. He remained relatively untrained and that helped to preserve his methods. Despite his clear dis-connection for academics there were two who are believed to have given him at least some guidance in his early days, namely Félix Auguste-Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme. They were two that he respected for their own impressive careers. The artist consistently tried to get acceptance for his paintings and was constantly frustrated at his failure to do so, but it is only now that he has managed to get a broad level of approval, with Rousseau paintings becoming exceptionally popular as art reproductions, normally in the forms of framed giclee art prints, posters, stretched canvases and in some cases, handmade oil reproduction paintings. Buy Now from Art.com Waterfall Henri Rousseau jungle paintings are what the artist is best remembered for and he produced many charming works along the jungle theme, varying his choices of human characters and animals, as well as the surrounding foliage.

Examples of his jungle paintings included Exotic Landscape, Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo, In a Tropical Forest Combat of a Tiger and a Buffalo, The Equatorial Jungle, The Sleeping Gypsy, The Dream, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope and Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!). Henri Rousseau is just one of many impressive artists to have come from France during the 19th century, with most others linked to the supremely impressive and influential impressionist art movement which was spearheaded by the likes of Claude Monet. Rousseau's own career was particularly separated by this as he struggled to gain academic acclaim for his own style which many considered to be childish and too simple. Buy Now from Art.com Sleeping Gypsy Sleeping Gypsy. Rousseau was a great example of yet another painter who brought contemporary ideas and unusual techniques to the art world that was to struggle during the life of the painter for acceptance, and only truly be appreciated and understood several generations after his life has passed by. Contemporary styles often simplify objects and that is now an accepted form of art, and led to more extreme ideas such as abstraction.

In today's art world Henri Rousseau paintings can be found in many major art galleries and museums right across the world and his legacy can also be shown by the other artists who followed after him whose styles beared cleared similarities to the cartoon-like methods of Rousseau. His use of charming animals within jungle scenes will proabably always remain what he is best known for. Henri Julien Rousseau - The complete works Of The Artist With A Lamp Henri Julien Felix Rousseau (May 21, 1844 - September 2, 1910) was a French Post-Impressionist painter in the Naive or Primitive manner. He is also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer) after his place of employment. Ridiculed during his life, he came to be recognized as a self-taught genius whose works are of high artistic quality. He was born in Laval in the Loire Valley into the family of a plumber. He attended Laval High School as a day student and then as a boarder, after his father became a debtor and his parents had to leave the town upon the seizure of their house. He was mediocre in some subjects at the high school but won prizes for drawing and music.

He worked for a lawyer and studied law, but "attempted a small perjury and sought refuge in the army," serving for four years, starting in 1863. Henri Rousseau on ArtStack - art online Background[ edit ] Rousseau was born in Laval, France , in 1844 into the family of a plumber; he was forced to work there as a small boy. [7] He attended Laval High School as a day student, and then as a boarder after his father became a debtor and his parents had to leave the town upon the seizure of their house. Though mediocre in some of his high school subjects, Rousseau won prizes for drawing and music. [8] After high school, he worked for a lawyer and studied law, but "attempted a small perjury and sought refuge in the army." [9] He served four years, starting in 1863. With his father's death, Rousseau moved to Paris in 1868 to support his widowed mother as a government employee.

In 1868, he married Clémence Boitard, his landlord's 15-year-old daughter, with whom he had six children (only one survived). In 1871, he was appointed as a collector of the octroi of Paris, collecting taxes on goods entering Paris. His wife died in 1888 and he married Josephine Noury in 1898. He started painting seriously in his early forties; by age 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time. [6] Rousseau claimed he had "no teacher other than nature", [3] although he admitted he had received "some advice" from two established Academic painters , Félix Auguste Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme . [10] Essentially, he was self-taught and is considered to be a naïve or primitive painter. Paintings[ edit ] Self-portrait of the Artist with a Lamp His best-known paintings depict jungle scenes, even though he never left France or saw a jungle. Stories spread by admirers that his army service included the French expeditionary force to Mexico are unfounded.

His inspiration came from illustrations in children's books [11] and the botanical gardens in Paris , as well as tableaux of taxidermy wild animals. He had also met soldiers during his term of service who had survived the French expedition to Mexico, and he listened to their stories of the subtropical country they had encountered. To the critic Arsène Alexandre, he described his frequent visits to the Jardin des Plantes : "When I go into the glass houses and I see the strange plants of exotic lands, it seems to me that I enter into a dream." Along with his exotic scenes there was a concurrent output of smaller topographical images of the city and its suburbs. He claimed to have invented a new genre of portrait landscape, which he achieved by starting a painting with a specific view, such as a favourite part of the city, and then depicting a person in the foreground. Criticism and recognition[ edit ] Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) (1891) was the first of many jungle scenes for which Rousseau is best known. Rousseau's flat, seemingly childish style was disparaged by many critics; people often were shocked by his work or ridiculed it.

[5] [12] His ingenuousness was extreme, and he always aspired, in vain, to conventional acceptance. Many observers commented that he painted like a child, but the work shows sophistication with his particular technique. [3] [5] From 1886, he exhibited regularly in the Salon des Indépendants , and, although his work was not placed prominently, it drew an increasing following over the years. Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) was exhibited in 1891, and Rousseau received his first serious review when the young artist Félix Vallotton wrote: "His tiger surprising its prey ought not to be missed; it's the alpha and omega of painting." Yet it was more than a decade before Rousseau returned to depicting his vision of jungles. [6] In 1893, Rousseau moved to a studio in Montparnasse where he lived and worked until his death in 1910. [13] In 1897, he produced one of his most famous paintings, La Bohémienne endormie ( The Sleeping Gypsy ).

The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope , 1905 In 1905, Rousseau's large jungle scene The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants near works by younger leading avant-garde artists such as Henri Matisse , in what is now seen as the first showing of The Fauves . Rousseau's painting may even have influenced the naming of the Fauves. [6] In 1907, he was commissioned by artist Robert Delaunay 's mother, Berthe, Comtesse de Delaunay, to paint The Snake Charmer. Le Banquet Rousseau[ edit ] When Pablo Picasso happened upon a painting by Rousseau being sold on the street as a canvas to be painted over, the younger artist instantly recognised Rousseau's genius and went to meet him. In 1908, Picasso held a half serious, half burlesque banquet in his studio at Le Bateau-Lavoir in Rousseau's honour.

[1] Le Banquet Rousseau, "one of the most notable social events of the twentieth century," wrote American poet and literary critic John Malcolm Brinnin , "was neither an orgiastic occasion nor even an opulent one. Its subsequent fame grew from the fact that it was a colorful happening within a revolutionary art movement at a point of that movement's earliest success, and from the fact that it was attended by individuals whose separate influences radiated like spokes of creative light across the art world for generations." [14] Guests at the banquet Rousseau included: Guillaume Apollinaire , Jean Metzinger , Juan Gris , Max Jacob , Marie Laurencin , André Salmon , Maurice Raynal , Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler , Leo Stein , and Gertrude Stein . [15] Maurice Raynal, in Les Soires de Paris, January 15, 1914, p. 69, wrote about "Le Banquet Rousseau". [16] Years later the French writer André Salmon recalled the setting of the illustrious banquet: "Here the nights of the Blue Period passed... here the days of the Rose Period flowered...

here the Demoiselles d'Avignon halted in their dance to re-group themselves in accordance with the golden number and the secret of the fourth dimension... here fraternized the poets elevated by serious criticism into the School of the Rue Ravignan... here in these shadowy corridors lived the true worshippers of fire ... here one evening in the year 1908 unrolled the pageantry of the first and last banquet offered by his admirers to the painter Henri Rousseau called the Douanier." [14] [15] [17] Retirement[ edit ] After Rousseau's retirement in 1893, he supplemented his small pension with part-time jobs and work such as playing a violin in the streets. He also worked briefly at Le petit journal, where he produced a number of its covers. [6] The Dream (1910), MoMA Rousseau exhibited his final painting, The Dream , in March 1910, at the Salon des Independants and in the same month suffered a phlegmon in his leg which he ignored.

[18] In August he was admitted to the Necker Hospital [19] in Paris where his son had died and was found to have gangrene in his leg. After an operation, he died from a blood clot on September 2, 1910. At his funeral, seven friends stood at his grave: the painters Paul Signac and Manuel Ortiz de Zárate , the artist couple Robert Delaunay and Sonia Terk , the sculptor Brâncuși , Rousseau's landlord Armand Queval, and Guillaume Apollinaire who wrote the epitaph Brâncuși put on the tombstone: We salute you Gentle Rousseau you can hear us. Delaunay, his wife, Monsieur Queval and myself. Let our luggage pass duty free through the gates of heaven. We will bring you brushes paints and canvas. That you may spend your sacred leisure in the light and Truth of Painting. As you once did my portrait facing the stars, lion and the gypsy.

Legacy[ edit ] Rousseau in 1902 Rousseau's work exerted an extensive influence on several generations of avant-garde artists, including Pablo Picasso , Jean Hugo , Fernand Léger Jean Metzinger , Max Beckmann , and the Surrealists . According to Roberta Smith, an art critic writing in The New York Times , "Beckmann’s amazing self-portraits, for example, descend from the brusque, concentrated forms of Rousseau’s portrait of the writer Pierre Loti ." [6] [20] In 1911, a retrospective exhibition of Rousseau's works was shown at the Salon des Indépendants . His paintings were also shown at the first Blaue Reiter exhibition. Critics have noted the influence of Rousseau on Wallace Stevens 's poetry. See, for instance, Stevens's Floral Decorations for Bananas in the collection Harmonium . The American poet Sylvia Plath was a great admirer of Rousseau, referencing his art, as well as drawing inspiration from his works in her poetry.

The poem, Yadwigha, on a Red Couch, Among Lilies (1958), is based upon his painting, The Dream, whilst the poem Snakecharmer (1957) is based upon his painting The Snake Charmer. [21] The song, The Jungle Line, by Joni Mitchell , is based upon a Rousseau painting. [22] Self Portrait (1890), National Gallery, Prague Underground comic artist Bill Griffith drew a four-page autobiographical sketch of Rousseau, A Couch in the Sun, which was included in issue #2 of the Arcade anthology . The visual style of Michel Ocelot 's 1998 animation film, Kirikou and the Sorceress , is partly inspired by Rousseau, particularly the depiction of the jungle vegetation. [23] A Rousseau painting was used as an inspiration for the 2005 animated film Madagascar .

[24] Exhibitions[ edit ] Two major museum exhibitions of his work were held in 1984–85 (in Paris, at the Grand Palais; and in New York, at the Museum of Modern Art ) and in 2001 (Tübingen, Germany). "These efforts countered the persona of the humble, oblivious naïf by detailing his assured single-mindedness and tracked the extensive influence his work exerted on several generations of vanguard artists," critic Roberta Smith wrote in a review of a later exhibition. [6] A major exhibition of his work, "Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris," was shown at the Tate Modern from November 2005 for four months, organised by the Tate and the Musée d’Orsay , where the show also appeared. The exhibition, encompassing 49 of his paintings, was on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington from July 16–October 15, 2006. A major collection of Rousseau's work was shown at the Grand Palais from March 15 to June 19, 2006.

Henri Rousseau - Painter - Biography.com Henri Rousseau The French artist Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a self-taught painter who became a friend of Picasso and an inspiration to the Paris avant-garde. IN THESE GROUPS Famous People Born in Laval quotes “Nothing makes me so happy as to observe nature and to paint what I see."[From a 1910 interview; cited in 'Henri Rousseau 1844-1910' (p. 25), by Cornelia Stabenow.]” Henri Rousseau Synopsis Henri Rousseau was born on May 21, 1844, in Laval, France. While working as a toll collector in Paris, he taught himself to paint and exhibited his work almost annually from 1886 until the end of his life. He was given the nickname "Le Douanier" ("the customs officer") by his acquaintances in the Parisian avant-garde.

Despite his connections with other artists and dealers, he never profited from his paintings; however, works like "The Dream," "The Sleeping Gypsy" and "Carnival Evening" influenced many artists who came after him. He died in Paris on September 2, 1910. Early Life and Work Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was born into a middle-class family in the town of Laval in northwest France on May 21, 1844. Rousseau attended school in Laval until 1860. In his late teens, he worked for a lawyer and then enlisted in the army, although he never saw combat. In 1868, Rousseau left the army and moved to Paris, where he began working as a toll collector at the entrance to the city. Rousseau as Artist Meanwhile, Rousseau had begun to paint in his spare time. He never had a formal art education; instead, he taught himself by copying paintings in the art museums of Paris and by sketching in the city's botanical gardens and natural history museums. Perhaps because he had not studied art according to any prescribed method or under any teacher's supervision, Rousseau developed a highly personal style.

His portraits and landscapes often had a childlike or "naïve" quality, since he had not learned anatomy or perspective; their vivid colors, ambiguous spaces, non-realistic scale and dramatic intensity gave them a dreamlike quality. Sometimes Rousseau incorporated details inspired by paintings he had viewed at museums or images he had seen in books and magazines, transforming them into elements of his own visions. Many of Rousseau's signature paintings depicted human figures or wild animals in jungle-like settings. The first of these works was "Tiger in a Tropical Storm" of 1891 (now at the National Gallery in London). 'Le Douanier' and the Avant-Garde Although Rousseau's art was not understood or accepted by the conservative, official art world of Paris, he was able to show his work in annual exhibitions organized by the Société des Artistes Indépendants. He submitted works to these open, un-juried shows from 1886 until the end of his life. His art was seen and appreciated by established artists such as Camille Pissarro and Paul Signac, who praised his direct, emotional approach to his subject matter.

In 1893, at the age of 49, Rousseau retired from his work as a toll collector and dedicated himself to his art. That year he met the writer Alfred Jarry, who gave him the nickname "Le Douanier" ("the customs officer"). Jarry introduced Rousseau to members of the Parisian artistic and literary avant-garde, including Pablo Picasso, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob and Marie Laurencin, all of whom became admirers of his art. Rousseau also formed business relationships with important dealers; however, despite these connections, he made very little money from his art. Death and Artistic Legacy Rousseau died on September 2, 1910, in Paris. His work continued to influence other artists, from his friend Picasso to Fernand Léger, Max Ernst and the Surrealists. His paintings are held in museum collections around the world. The Museum of Modern Art in New York owns two of his most famous works, "The Sleeping Gypsy" (1897) and "The Dream" (1910), which depicts a nude woman on a couch magically transported to a lush jungle inhabited by exotic birds and beasts.

Other works belong to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; and the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, Switzerland, among many other institutions. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information 1000+ images about Henri Rousseau on Pinterest | Henri rousseau, Jungles and Naive art Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Henri Rousseau Henri Rousseau was a self-taught French painter who was ridiculed during his lifetime but was later given the title of artistic genius. For much of his life, Henri worked as a tax collector - the reason he was known as Le Douanier - to friends. He always drew, but in 1893, at almost 50-years-old, decided to devote himself to painting. His The Hungry Lion was exhibited with the Fauves in 1905.

229 Pins267.93k Followers Henri Rousseau Biography (1712–1778) – Post-Impressionist Artist Life Complete Works Art comes in many forms, and each form of art comes in different styles. Paintings are some of the most popular forms of art. People know of formal looking paintings such as works from Da Vinci or Van Gogh. Another style is seen in works with childlike simplicity. This is known as Naïve art. One artist who became known for Naïve art was Henri Rousseau. Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was known as a French Post-Impressionist artist utilizing Naïve or Primitive style. In the course of his life, he also acquired a nickname of “Le Douanier” which means “the customs officer.” This was a humorous take on his job as a tax collector. Scorned at during his life, he came out as a self-educated genius; his works acclaimed to have a prominent artistic quality. He was born on May 21, 1844 in the town of Laval, France in Loire Valley.

The young Henri became a boarding student at the Lycee of Laval because of their frequent movements due to his tinsmith father’s penchant for acquiring debts. At school, his grades in some subjects were not remarkable. Drawing and Music are another case. He gets high grades and awards in them. When he was 19, he worked for a lawyer. Then, he was arrested because of perjury at his employer’s office. To evade a severe jail sentence, he served the army, starting in 1863, for four years. When his father died, he moved in 1868 to Paris to help his mother by working as a government employee. In the same year, he married the then 15-year-old Clémence Boitard, the daughter of his landlord. They had six children but only one survived. When 1871 came, he became a collector of octroi tax on products entering Paris, thus, his nickname Le Douanier. He remarried in 1898, this time to Josephine Noury, a year after his first wife died. He delved into serious painting when he was in his early forties.

At age 49, he retired from his job to paint full-time. Although he admitted receiving advice from two reputable academic painters, namely, Félix Auguste-Clément and Jean-Léon Gérôme, Henri Rosseau claimed that his only teacher was nature. He was self-taught and worked on Naïve art. Rosseau was well recognized for his artistic depictions of jungles. This is considering that he had never left France or seen a jungle. There were rumors that he had an expedition to Mexico when he was in the army, and this was where he experienced jungles. These were not necessarily true. In reality, he was inspired by illustrations in books and botanical gardens in Paris. Also, he looked at assortments of taxidermies of wild animals. He had also listened to stories brought home by soldiers who actually went with the French Expedition to Mexico. Aside from exotic scenes, he also painted some small topographical images of suburbs and his city. According to him, he had invented a new style of portrait landscape. He did this by painting a beautiful view, then adding the portrait in the foreground. With the Naïve art Henri Rosseau did, the first flow of criticism was not very favorable.

At first, viewers either made fun of or were shocked by his works. He worked hard to gain conventional appreciation. Many said that his paintings were like drawings done by a child but his works show sophistication with his chosen technique. Starting 1886, he regularly conducted exhibits at the Salon des Indépendants. His works were not featured prominently but attracted followers over the years. In 1891, Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!) went into exhibition. It is an oil-on-canvas painting depicting a tiger illuminated by lightning flash, ready to pounce on his prey. This was when he first got a serious review. Félix Vallotton, a Swiss painter who later became a prominent figure in modern woodcut, gave a positive take on his work, mentioning that it was a ‘must-see’ and ‘alpha and omega of painting.’ This work was the first of Rousseau’s jungle depictions. In spite of Vallotto’s good review, most of the other comments were negative. Because of this, it took ten years before Henri Rousseau followed up on more jungle depictions.

His work entitled The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants where it was placed side by side with works by Derain and Matisse. Another notable work of Rousseau was an oil painting of a lion musing over a woman who was asleep on a night illuminated by the moon. This was entitled The Sleeping Gypsy. He tried to have it sold to the mayor of Laval, but it ended up in a private collection of a Parisian charcoal merchant. It stayed there until 1924. Rousseau’s final painting was The Dream. It was exhibited first in 1910, a few months before he died. In the painting was a nude woman on a plush divan resting in the midst of a jungle’s thick foliage and different creatures. Rousseau’s art, although previously ridiculed, had an extensive influence on artists such as Picasso, Jean Hugo, Beckman, and Surrealists. In the 1998 animated film, Kirikou and the Sorceress by Michel Ocelot, the visual style was partially inspired by Rousseau – evident in the jungle vegetation.

Joni Mitchell’s song, The Jungle Line is based on a painting by Rousseau. Another animated film, entitled Madagascar, used one of Henri Rousseau’s works as an inspiration. One response to “Henri Rousseau” Sonja

Question: Which French painter, a customs official, painted "The Sleeping Gypsy", and "The Hungry Lion"?
Answer: HENRI ROUSSEAU